Polygonal briquette igniter



Jan. l0, 1967 A. N. UURFEE POLYGONAL BRIQUETTE IGNITER Original Filed July 22, 1963 ...HMHIH R O T N E V m ARDEN N. DURFEE ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,296,984 Patented dan. 10, 1967 Y 3,296,984 PULYGNAL BRiiQUETTlE IGNHTER Arden N. Durfce, 6633 S. Datura,

, Littleton, 010. S012@ Original application July 22, 1963, Ser. No. 296,681, now Patent No. 3,216,379, dated Nov. 9., 1965. Divided and this application Get. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 505,111

Claims. (Cl. Htl- 1) This application is a division of my copending applica tion Serial No. 296,681, led July 22, 1963, whic-h has now issued as United States Patent 3,216,379. This invention relates to devices and processes for igniting fuel an-d more particularly to an igniter for briquetted fuels of the type utilized in portable grills.

-Briquetted fuels are presently generally ignited by pouring a liquid hydrocarbon on the fuels and igniting the hydrocarbon. This procedure is dangerous and also causes food cooked over the burning briquettes to taste of hydrocarbon.

Igniters for briquettes are known. For example, United States Patent 2,920,614 teaches an igniter which is essentially a little stove which is to be placed on a portable grill. Paper placed on the `grill is used to ignite the briquettes placed within the stove. The briquettes are then dumped in the grill by removing a grate on which the briquettes rest.

This prior device is effective for the desired purpose but is designed to be more of a stove than an igniter. Furthermore, adjustment of the parts of this prior art for various uses is required.

I have now invented a highly efficient igniter which can 'be manufactured economically in several forms. The igniter is safe and, on completion of ignition, disburses the ignited briquettes placed in the grill. Additional briquettes can be added if very long burning is required.

The attached drawings illustrate one of the several forms my invention can take and the method of its use.

The ligure illustrated is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a portable igniter having a rectangular chimney and a prismatically-shaped grate which can be folded flat if it is desired to take the igniter on camping trips.

The invention comprises a grate 30 and chimney 31. Chimney 31 is provided with flutes 32,1hinges 33 at its four corners, and with a handle `34. It is preferable to affix the handle to the lower portion of the chimney as the chimney is cooler at its lower edge after ignition of a charge of briquettes. Flutes 32 in the sides of chimney 31 allow flames to pass up the flutes and aid in igniting the briquettes. When not in use, chimney 31 is flattened for ease of storage and transport.

Grate 30 is slightly shorter than the inner length of chimney 31. Grate 30 is, at its upper end, a grid composed of interlocked longitudinal wires 35 and parallel Wires 36. The grate is depicted with a wire 37 ailixed to the ends of Wires 35 to reduce the tendency of wires to bend during usage. The upper ends of wires 35 are bent around wire 38 and serve to -hinge the sides of the grate. Hook 39 serves to hold the opened grate in operating position and can be folded out of the way for ease of transport. Ta'bs 441 position chimney 31 on the grate.

The device is utilized by placing chimney 31 on grate 30; lilling the area, above grate 30 and within chimney 31, with briquettes; placing a combustible material `below grate 30; burning the combustible material until the briquettes are ignited; and removing chimney 31 to distribute the ignited briquettes within the brazier.

The burning of one discarded wax or plastic-type milk carton is usually sufficient to ignite a charge of charcoal 'briquettes in the igniter. After about 15 minutes, all the briquettes in the igniter are yburning and the briqu-ettes can be dumped into the brazier. Any solid combustibles can be used for ignition purpose. The use of my invention reduces the cost of the individual ignition, as only discarded combustibles are utilized.

It appears that the hollowed briquette charge ignites more readily than -does a charge which is not hollowed on its underside. This may result from the fact that chimney 31 provides optimum updraft through the briquettes and the Ihollow Within a mass of briquettes placed on ygrate 31D provides a direct contact between the flames and a larger number of briquettes.

While the above-described embodiments are preferred, other embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of my invention as claimed. Thus, tabs 40 can be omitted or a plurality of `wires 3S can be bent to for-m knees on which a chimney can rest. Alternately, the chimney can be -made of a metal sheet 'having curved or square configurations rather than flutes.

Chimney 31 can be double walled. Where a corrugated inner Wall is utilized, it can be set apart from a non-corrugated outer Wall by spacers to provide a doublewalled chimney.

Now lhaving described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An igniter for a charge of sized, particulate solids, wherein said charge is exposed to a flame until ignited: comprising a substantially polygonal chimney means and substantially openwork support means including a substantially openwork grate adapted to support said chimney intermediate the top and bottom of said support means and to support, on substantially the entire surface of said grate within the chimney, said charge.

2. The igniter of claim 1 wherein the chimney is adapted to facilitate the passage of ames upwardly along the sides of the chimney.

3. An igniter, wherein sized, particulate solids are ignited by an external heat source, comprising a collapsible grate and a collapsible chimney:

(l) said grate being substantially wider at its base than at its apex and adapted to (a) support said chimney substantially intermediate the apex and the Ibase of the grate and (b) contain above the grate and within the chimney, when placed thereon, a charge of briquettes,

(2) said chimney being adapted to (a) rest on said grate intermediate the base and apex thereof and (b) be removed `from said grate.

`4. The igniter of claim 3 having channels for the pasage of flame upwardly in the walls of the chimney.

5. The igniter of claim 3 wherein the chimney has a handle affixed thereto.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,622,431 3/ 1927 Feigenbaum 110-18 2,920,614 1/1960 Phelps. 3,062,200 :1 1/ 1962 Miller. 3,216,379 11/1965 Durfee 1 110-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 629,227 11/ 1927 France.

11,178 of 1910 Great Britain. 17,067 of 1910 Great Britain. 246,549 `1/ 1926 Great Britain.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner. ROBERT A. DUA, Examiner. 

1. AN IGNITER FOR A CHARGE OF SIZED, PARTICULATE SOLIDS, WHEREIN SAID CHARGE IS EXPOSED TO A FLAME UNTIL IGNITED: COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY POLYGONAL CHIMNEY MEANS AND SUBSTANTIALLY OPENWORK SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY OPENWORK GRATE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID CHIMNEY INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND TO SUPPORT, ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF SAID GRATE WITHIN THE CHIMNEY, SAID CHARGE. 